


Treppenhaus

by feentanz



Series: One Shots [42]
Category: Nikolai Series - Leigh Bardugo, The Grisha Trilogy - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: F/M, Feelings Realization
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:48:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24877969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/feentanz/pseuds/feentanz
Summary: A moment of silence followed. She could hear Nikolai’s breathing through the intercom. “I really hope you’re listening, Nazyalensky,” he eventually said, and this time she could swear he was grinning. “Because I’m only saying this once.”  Zoya frowned. “I was actually saying to Ehri today that I was looking for a way to ask you out.”
Relationships: Nikolai Lantsov/Zoya Nazyalensky
Series: One Shots [42]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/594364
Comments: 7
Kudos: 53





	Treppenhaus

Zoya flinched when her phone rang, the sudden sound piercing the silence. She kept her gaze trained at the ceiling, forcing herself not to glance towards the screen. Because she knew who was calling. Who had been ringing her for the past hour. 

Nikolai Lantsov wasn’t someone to give up easily. 

Zoya let out a long breath when the call ended. She wasn’t usually such a coward, but if she answered the phone now, if she heard his voice now… She closed her eyes, ignoring the way her eyes stung. No crying. Not about this. 

Technically, she didn’t even have any right to be upset. Nikolai and she weren’t together, far from it actually. They were friends, had been for years, and she wouldn’t do anything to risk that. Not if she could help it, anyway. 

Zoya bit her bottom lip, still staring at the ceiling. She really was so stupid. She should have known better than to allow herself to care, but in those past weeks, it had become increasingly hard to ignore the tension between her and Nikolai. All the lingering glances, the accidental touches. All the times he had driven her home after a night out, or they had sat together in the library studying. Genya had teased her about those “dates” as she called them so many times, Zoya didn’t even notice anymore how much they acted like a couple. 

And yet, Nikolai was  _ dating  _ now. 

Ehri Kir-Taban was apparently an old friend of his, or so Genya had said, and she was gorgeous and charming and very hard to dislike. Not that Zoya hadn’t tried. 

Nikolai had assured her that nothing was going on, that Ehri and him were only catching up for old time’s sake, but when Zoya had walked to college this morning and stopped for a coffee at her favorite place, she had seen the truth for herself. Usually, Nikolai did those coffee dates with  _ her.  _

Zoya sat up suddenly, blinking away the tears daring to fall. She hated this feeling of jealousy, even more than the ache in her heart.  _ Why did she even care?  _ She didn’t want to be Nikolai’s girlfriend. But she also didn’t want anyone else to be his girlfriend. 

The doorbell suddenly rang, and Zoya frowned. Maybe Genya had freaked out while online shopping again. She sighed, getting to her feet and walking towards the door. The bell rang again and Zoya rolled her eyes when she pressed the button for the intercom. A buzzing sound echoed through the apartment, and then someone cleared his throat. 

Zoya’s heart sank. 

“It’s me,” Nikolai said into the speaker, and she could just imagine the lazy grin on his lips and the way he leaned against the front door. “Please let me in?” he added, sounding a little like a lost puppy. She assumed it was on purpose. 

And yet she didn’t move. The last thing she needed was to see his face and have him tease her and act as if nothing happened. She couldn’t do that right now. 

“Come on, Nazyalensky,” Nikolai sighed into the speaker. “Open the door.” 

Zoya pressed her lips together, tempted to turn off the intercom, to lie back down on the sofa and act like this never happened. But something rooted her in place in the hallway. She didn’t have the heart to move. 

Nikolai sighed again, and she could hear him leaning heavily against the door. “Okay, you’re mad,” he concluded. “I figured you were since you have been ignoring my calls for the past hour.” She could almost hear the smile in his voice. “But I also know that you’re listening right now.” 

She was tempted to walk away for that comment alone. 

Nikolai was silent for a moment and she imagined him staring at the intercom, running a hand through his hair. “Genya was pretty mad when I saw her today,” he said eventually. Something had changed in his tone. It was no longer laced with his usual carefreeness. “She said something about you seeing me with Ehri.” 

Another pause. Zoya leaned her back against the door, staring at the intercom. Her eyes were burning again. She remembered the way Ehri had leaned over the table to show Nikolai something on her phone, the way her hand had rested on his arm, their laughter. 

“Listen,” Nikolai picked up again, his voice suddenly more urgent. He was shifting again, and she could hear the nervousness in his tone now. Nikolai  _ never  _ got nervous. “Whatever you think you saw, it wasn’t what you think. I’ve known Ehri for years, and we were just catching up, looking at old childhood pictures.”   
  
Zoya snorted, shaking her head. Now they even had a history together. 

Nikolai seemed to have realized the same thing. “I’m not making this better,” he muttered, more to himself than her. “What I meant to say was: I’m not interested in Ehri.” 

Zoya swallowed, wondering why he was telling her this. There was no need to justify himself. He didn’t owe her anything. 

A moment of silence followed. She could hear Nikolai’s breathing through the intercom. “I really hope you’re listening, Nazyalensky,” he eventually said, and this time she could swear he was grinning. “Because I’m only saying this once.” 

Zoya frowned. 

“I was actually saying to Ehri today that I was looking for a way to ask you out.” 

She froze. For a second she wondered if her mind was playing tricks on her. 

Nikolai laughed nervously, and she could hear him shifting from one foot onto the other. “At least if I ask you this way you can’t hit me.” 

Zoya couldn’t help but smile, shaking her head softly. He really was an idiot. 

“I know you always say we’re just friends.” Nikolai sighed heavily. “But I think we both know better, don’t we?” 

_ Did they?  _ Zoya played with a strand of hair, twisting it around her finger. She didn’t know what she wanted. Or what she was feeling, for that matter. 

Although Nikolai was far from done yet. “But I’m not interested in Ehri, or anyone else for that matter, because I was only ever interested in you.” 

Zoya found it increasingly hard to breathe. 

“It would be really nice if you could open the door now, so I could say those things to your face,” he added. “It feels weird talking to your door.” 

Zoya turned, staring at the intercom. Her finger hovered over the button, and yet… She couldn’t. She couldn’t bring herself to press it. 

Downstairs Nikolai let out an exasperated breath. “You really don’t make this easy for me, Nazyalensky.” He sighed. “I want more than friendship, okay? I want more than what we have. I want everything, Zoya. I don’t know if you even agree, or if I’m making a fool of myself right now…” He let out a nervous laugh. “But I think we can make this work.” 

Zoya remained perfectly still, not daring to move. She was torn between wanting to hide and wanting to open the door, have him say all these words to her face… And yet she was scared. So scared that she still didn’t move. 

Nikolai was silent, apparently giving her time to consider. “Now would be a good time to open the door, Nazyalensky,” he muttered, and his voice sounded…  _ insecure _ . Zoya wondered if Nikolai even knew what that felt like. 

She still didn’t move. 

“Zoya, seriously,” Nikolai repeated, leaning closer to the speaker. “Open the door.” 

She couldn’t. She couldn’t bring herself to face him. 

Another silence followed, and she half expected him to turn around and leave. But Nikolai was Nikolai, and he knew her better than anyone else. He knew that she was standing behind this door waiting. “Listen,” he said quietly, the sound of his breathing echoing through the intercom. “Do you trust me?” 

Zoya swallowed hard. Of course, she did. More than anyone else. 

“Open the door,” he repeated. “ _ Please _ .” 

This time, her finger found the button. Zoya buzzed the front door open and slipped out of the apartment into the hallway. She could hear Nikolai making his way upstairs, but she couldn’t wait. She met him halfway, stopping at the top of the stairs when her eyes met his. 

Nikolai was smirking, and for a second she considered slapping him if only for that cocky expression. “Did I finally convince you?” he remarked, bridging the last bit of distance between them and forcing her to take a step back. 

Zoya glared up at him. She still hadn’t quite forgiven him, and she was more confused than ever about what they were, and yet… “Are you going to act on those words?” she asked, and Nikolai’s lips spread into a grin at the challenge. 

“You have no idea,” he muttered, and then he was kissing her. 

Zoya tensed in surprise before opening her lips under his, and the world stilled around them. Nikolai ran his fingers through her hair, softly tracing the lines of her jaw with his fingertips. It was soft and slow and delicate, but it felt familiar. Like they had been doing this forever. 

And yet she was growing impatient. Zoya wrapped her arms around Nikolai’s neck, pulling him down towards her to deepen the kiss. He grinned against her lips, wasting no time to pick her up around the waist and carry her the rest of the way upstairs. 

They didn’t stop until they reached her apartment, and when Nikolai let her down on the sofa in her living room Zoya was breathless. “That was quite the speech,” she muttered when he kissed down the side of her neck, letting her fingers trace the lines of his neck. 

Nikolai chuckled, raising his head to look at her. “I was worried it wouldn’t be enough to impress you.”

Zoya gave a half shrug. “I took pity on you.” 

His eyes lit up, and he pressed another kiss to her lips. Zoya felt a shiver racing down her spine, a sensation entirely unknown to her. Nikolai tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “So,” he remarked. “you’re going out with me?” 

Zoya smirked, enjoying the slight hint of nervousness in his voice. He still wasn’t sure if she would say yes. “If you make it worth my while.” 

Nikolai huffed, amusement dancing in his eyes. “Wait for it.” 


End file.
